A court in Peru handed down a 15-year prison sentence to former President Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, on Tuesday, as local media reported, after they were found guilty on charges of money laundering.

According to the ruling by the judges of the National Superior Court, Humala and Heredia were found to have accepted approximately $3 million in illegal campaign funds, with the money allegedly coming from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht as well as Venezuela, which was used to finance Humala's presidential campaigns in both 2006 and 2011.

In the same case, Ilan Heredia, the brother of Nadine Heredia, received a 12-year prison sentence.

Judge Nayko Coronado, who issued the order for their immediate detention, stated that evidence had established multiple instances of money laundering involving illicit funds.

After the verdict was announced, Nadine Heredia reportedly approached the Brazilian Embassy in Lima seeking political asylum, with Peru’s Foreign Ministry subsequently verifying that she had officially filed the request following the provisions of the 1954 Convention on Diplomatic Asylum.

Peruvian authorities confirmed that Ollanta Humala would be incarcerated at Barbadillo Prison in Lima, a facility that currently houses multiple other former presidents.

The probe targeting Humala and Heredia was launched in 2015, preceding by one year Odebrecht's shocking public confession about its extensive bribery network that had corrupted governments throughout Latin America.

The ruling makes Humala the third ex-Peruvian president in 20 years to face incarceration due to the sprawling Odebrecht corruption case, joining former President Alejandro Toledo, currently serving a 20-year sentence, and Alberto Fujimori, who remains imprisoned after being convicted on multiple charges.